The Meme Economy refers to the satirical practice of treating internet memes as commodities in a stock market. Centralized around the r/MemeEconomy subreddit since 2016, the culture involves 'investing' in new templates and 'selling' them once they reach mainstream saturation. Users often use imagery of traders, stock charts, or the 'Stonks' character to discuss the life cycle of a viral trend. This format allows creators to comment on the rapid rise and fall of internet fads while mocking the seriousness of traditional financial institutions. It is a staple for those who want to call out the 'normification' of a joke or predict the next big viral sensation.